Discussions By Condition: I cannot get a diagnosis.

nightmares

I have been having horrible, terrible nightmares for years- when I looked them up, most of the information I found concerned PTSD- which I've never had... I've never even had anything very horrifying happen to me that would cause PTSD. About 10 years ago, the nightmares were about plane crashes- one right after another, but no bad airplane experience. Now, I- or one of my dogs- am always chased by mean people with weapons, ugly monsters, or supernatural and scary demons- last night's was the first of the evil nasty demon variety.... I've never encounted a monster or demon, and no on bad has ever chased me- I do meditate and sometimes practice yoga, both of which help me get to sleep better at night and wake up less often, but I still have the ngihtmares. any tips or explanations?

4 Replies:

Oy, dreams. It's been a bit of a pet project of mine trying to figure how to dream lucidly(dreaming while being aware it is a dream, thus granting control). Start by keeping a dream journal. Basically, as soon as you wake up, write down any dreams you had that night while they're still fresh in your head(I've read it helps if you write them in the present tense). Then, every night before bed, review the journal.Since you've been meditating, this next part will be a lot easier for you than it has been for me. The method is called WILD(Wake Initiated Lucid Dream) Get into a meditative state, but try and keep your mind awake, while letting your body start to sleep. Try to concentrate on a single thought, or envision yourself in a plain room, etc. Basically, something that keeps your mind active, but not too active. After awhile, you may notice your body becomes unresponsive. This is normal, and is actually a natural defense so you don't end running head first into a wall if you end up running in your dream. After this, you may a feel a falling or rising sensating, as if you're leaving your body. This is also normal. If you had your eyes closed, open your "dream eyes". It may feel like you actually opened your eyes, but trust me, you're in the dream state.This is where the fun begins. You now have complete freedom to do whatever you want. Want to be ironic and nap IN your dream? Go ahead. Feel like flying? Pick some a good location, and take off. Anything can happen.Now, I myself have only gotten as far as opening my dream eyes, and having a brief experience where I was in my room, and saw a black outline of a person 5ish feet from my bed. He was about the size of small boy, and had white, cat-reflection eyes. Nothing else was visible. After that, I woke up. Anyways, hope that helps. Wikipedia has some more stuff on lucid dreaming, as well.

I suggest that you view section 3, on nightmares, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris and adapt that, and the following, to your needs: one way is to visualise, as vividly as possible, every night after lights out, an outcome to either dream, in which you and your dogs manage to turn the tables on, and rid yourself of the threat. Anxiety/fear related nightmares: My standard post follows, but learn to identify, and confront your fears: a fear confronted is a fear reduced, but a fear avoided is a fear strengthened. If you don't know what they are, write down 3 times, before going to sleep: "Tonight, in my dreams, I want to remember seeing what my fear is, when I get up", and put it under your pillow. Then say it aloud 3 times, after lights out. It is important to summon as much desire as you are capable of, to more effectively communicate this to your subconscious mind. If this works, it should produce a response within 2 weeks; if not, you may not be remembering, so set an alarm to go off after, first, 3 hrs; next night 4; next night 5: have a pen & paper handy, and WRITE DOWN THOSE DREAMS!!! or, chances are, you will forget. Remember, the response may be metaphorical (figurative), rather than literal. There is a section on dream interpretation, in Yahoo!Answers, and view section 3 on dream interpretation, at ezy build (feel free to email me by clicking on my profile, but I am a lot better with interpreting dreams of males, than females) if you have any difficulty, but the idea is to, immediately after waking & writing down, question the characters inhabiting that dream, and note any thoughts, images, impressions, or emotions which result. Then use the confrontation method, in section 3, on recurring nightmares, at ezy-build. Take up a course in Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, or Tang Soo Do, etc., as much for the mental techniques you will learn, as the ability to face physical fear, which may well have a carry over effect in the dream state, at night, influencing your subconscious mind, and enabling you to tackle them head on (Some people can defeat them: it can help to call on friends, or others: "dream allies" to come to your assistance. In dreams, heroes, superheroes, characters/beings from fiction, or people who are alive, or long dead, are available to be selected to help you. I am still unable to summon them, as yet, but I realise that all those figures are part of me: one thing you can do is just keep fighting: persevere, and resist). I also suggest that you try the technique of dream re-entry, and, just after lights out, visualise yourself, as vividly as possible, confronting your attacker: demanding to know why you are being attacked, and demonstrating that you are prepared to defend yourself, if they don't go away and stop bothering you.